


Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect

by starsofcrystal



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: (duh), ALL THE FLUFF, Drabble, Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Short One Shot, THEY'RE SO FREAKING CUTE, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, takes place after episode 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-03 11:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8710414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsofcrystal/pseuds/starsofcrystal
Summary: Yuuri just can't seem to land a quadruple flip and Victor really isn't helping as much as he thinks he is.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [trashuniverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashuniverse/gifts).



> (Unbeta'd like always ^^;)
> 
> This is an early birthday present for my super amazing friend! If you like going dumpster-diving, check out their [Tumblr](http://trash-universe.tumblr.com/) ;) !

The sharp, echoing scratches of skates gliding across ice cut through the lofty silence of the empty rink, accompanied by harsh breaths that fogged in the frosty air. Fluorescent lights illuminated the sheen of sweat on Yuuri's skin as the biting wind whipped against his reddened skin and whistled in cold-numbed ears. His already erratic heartbeat quickened in anticipation and thundered in his eardrums as he struggled to push the performance anxiety from his mind and stay focused on the task at hand.  
   
He would do it this time for sure. He had to. He was going to prove to Victor that he was good enough, that he deserved him.  
   
Time seemed to slow as the loud scraping noise of skates becoming airborne from ice rang through the air, and then-  
   
The disappointing thud of a body hitting the ice instead of the satisfying clack of a successful landing echoed through the rink.  
   
The young skater got up, humiliated, bruised, and aching from all his falls. He had failed to land a quadruple flip once again despite working on it vigorously, and in front of his famous coach, whose _signature move_ was the quad flip, no less. Defeat coursed through his body, mortification and nervousness tensing his muscles.

"That was good, Yuuri! You got all the rotations in and your speed and height were beautiful, you just need to work on balancing your landing better. I'm sure you'll get it down!" came the cheerfully encouraging voice of Victor, who was standing off to the side of the rink. However, his words fell upon deaf ears as Yuuri stared dejectedly at his feet, frustration evident in his pinched face and stiff body. Victor noticed this and frowned, skating up to his student and grabbing his shoulders. The shorter male flinched a little at the sudden proximity but didn't look up. He couldn't face Victor, not after another failure.

"Yuuri. Hey, look at me," he said gently, but the younger skater didn't move, so he tried again: "Yuuri, I'm not mad at you."

Yuuri finally looked up at him. "You're not?" He asked, surprised.

"Of course not. You've been working so hard to land this flip; I can see the determination and effort you put into practice, and that makes me happy. There's no way I could be anything but proud of such a dedicated student."

"... Thank you," Yuuri said, smiling softly once he got the sudden surge of emotion triggered by the adoring words of his coach under control. An unspoken 'I love you' danced on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. He wasn't ready to tell Victor that to his face, so he pulled him into a hug instead. They stood like that for a moment, relishing in each other's touch and the warmth and comfort it brought them.

Victor was the first to pull away, clapping his student on the shoulder. "Now let's try that flip again!"

Yuuri hesitated a bit. "I don't want to mess up again..."

"You will if you think like that. Instead, concentrate on why you're working so hard. What motivates you?"

Yuuri felt his face heat up. Admitting that Victor took up most of his thoughts and that he wanted him all to himself was easy when he was on an adrenaline high or caught up in his emotions, but doing it in a rink alone with him was a lot harder. He stayed silent, praying it was a rhetorical question.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn't.

"I'll tell you what. For each quad flip you land, I'll give you a kiss. How's that for motivation?"

Yuuri stumbled back, his entire body on fire as he spluttered out random noises. Victor smiled innocently at him as if he hadn't just bribed him with the offer of kisses. Sure, they _had_ kissed once before. It's not like he didn't enjoy it, despite it being in front of thousands. Maybe he even wanted to do it again. But still, to suddenly offer something so intimate so casually was embarrassing no matter what. He evaded the offered bribe by making some excuse about how he needed to focus on practicing and skated away as Victor fought the urge to chase after him. Adorable reactions like that always made him want to hold Yuuri and never, ever let go.

His coach's "motivation" did nothing but throw the young skater off for the rest of practice. How was he supposed to focus on anything after that suggestion put all sorts of distracting thoughts in his head?

Yuuri didn't land a single quadruple flip that practice.

Victor kissed him anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic that's not explicit and I think I deserve a medal. This is also the second fic I've written for the same friend in a short period of time and I think I deserve a cease and desist order.
> 
> [My Tumblr](http://koi-bi-to.tumblr.com/)


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